


Flames

by JediMistressMeg



Category: Naruto
Genre: Canon Compliant, Developing Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Lemon, One Shot, Post-Bonds: Naruto Shippuden the Movie, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-19
Updated: 2018-09-19
Packaged: 2019-07-14 13:15:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16041200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JediMistressMeg/pseuds/JediMistressMeg
Summary: Perhaps it had been a mistake to finally allow Sakura to accompany him on his journey of atonement. Then again, maybe it was the best decision Uchiha Sasuke had ever made.





	Flames

Just my one-shot take on what happened to finally bring these two together.

 

All kinds of citrus- you have been warned.

 

I own nothing. Seriously.

 

 

 

 

 

 

They sat silently in the abandoned cabin.

 

For once, Sakura was grateful for the discomfort of the cold, hard floor. It helped to distract from the chaotic tsunami of emotions threatening to break free within her.

 

This trip was everything she had imagined it could be and more.

 

It was the _more_ part that was tripping her up.

 

She watched his profile through the thin veil of hair that obscured his high cheekbones. He stared intensely into the fireplace, a shuriken in his hand. If she hadn't been so lost in her own thoughts, she might have noticed that his calloused hand, despite being occupied, was idle.

 

She had begged him to take her with him on his journey more times than she cared to admit, and finally- in a flash of self-confidence fueled by a soul-bearing girl chat with Ino and Hinata- she actually chased after him. She was sure she would be rejected again, but at least she could say she tried. At least she would get to see his face again, and perhaps even catch a glimpse of that smirk that he allowed on occasion. When she finally caught up with him, she yelled and came damn near to stomping her foot, but held back to preserve the beautiful grove of ancient oak trees around her.

 

But he had actually smiled at her. He stood in the clearing just outside of Fire Country's border and motioned her to come closer. With a poke to her forehead he whispered into her hair.

 

“Aa.”

 

She shivered as she recalled the feeling of his breath as it tickled her scalp. Her 12-year-old self would have damn near passed out at the unexpected closeness of the Uchiha heir. At least she could keep her outward composure now. Mostly.

 

The weeks that followed had not been what she expected. To be honest, she hadn't really known what to expect. She knew that initially Sasuke had set out with the intent to atone for his past transgressions, but it seemed that he had done some serious soul-searching in the past three years.

 

She followed him from small towns to nomadic camps, providing medical care to those in need as he searched for any signs of Otsutsuki interference.

 

At first she thought she was imagining his small glances as she worked. The way he would sit a foot closer than normal as they ate around the campfire at night. The touch that lingered a millisecond longer than usual as he passed her a fresh roll of gauze or a chakra pill. The way he would occasionally string more than four words together in a sentence.

 

It was almost as if he had grown comfortable with her.

 

And despite her trademark tendency to have an optimistic outlook, Sakura was sure that she would never have that kind of relationship with the Uchiha. He had been through too much. Despite his respect for Naruto and rehabilitated humanity he would never revert to the sunny, sweet child he used to be.

 

These facts made his most recent actions most difficult to understand.

 

 

 

 

 

He needed to get his shit together.

 

He hadn't been this confused since he found out the truth in Itachi's sacrifice. He had cried then. Now he didn't know how the hell to react. Haruno Sakura had taken over his faculties, and he had simply allowed it to happen. He would have been appalled, even furious, if he wasn't so damn confused.

 

From the moment he saw her in that clearing, pastel hair blowing in the gentle breeze and a breathless half-smile on her face, he had apparently lost his damn mind. If he hadn't said yes to her persistent babbling, he would never be in this predicament. Perhaps it was the pathetic attempt at soul searching done in the days, months and years prior to the meeting that had weakened his Uchiha resolve.

 

“You can't atone for your sins if you don't figure out how your emotions got you there in the first place,” Hatake Kakashi had said smugly from the safety of his Hokage's desk.

 

_That'll teach me to listen to that lazy bastard._

 

In the three years of wandering the countryside in search of answers, Sasuke had slowly come to the conclusion that they were within him all along. His past, his decisions, and his actions had gotten him to where he was today, for better or worse. He was learning to accept help and kindness from others (although he still did so begrudgingly). His love for his family was contorted into hatred and aggression, but he had to come to terms with the fact that underneath all of those character flaws, it was still _love._

 

He spent most of his time thinking about the foundation of his relationships- a fact that would baffle Naruto and most of the remainder of all the people close to him, he admitted to himself with a wry smile.

His relationship with Taka was built on their usefulness in the moment. His relationship with Orochimaru was built on his hunger for power, as were his ties to Obito and Akatsuki. All of these connections were broken the minute he no longer needed their services.

His relationships with the people of Konoha, on the other hand, were built on underlying positive emotions. His hatred for Itachi had stemmed from the betrayal of his _love_ for his brother. In fact, to this day he is the only person Sasuke had ever openly admitted he loved (Naruto once pointed this out to him after a bottle of sake. Even _he_ wouldn't make that mistake twice.). His relationship with Kakashi was built on respect. His relationship with Naruto was built on empathy (that was a hard emotional pill to swallow) and unconditional acceptance. His relationship with Sakura...

Well that was where he seemed to be falling apart.

At first he thought it was based on annoyance, but that was too easy. He later decided that his relationship with Sakura was based on proximity, and told himself that he had only felt comfortable around her because he was forced to be around her. After his return to the village, he discovered that his relationship with Sakura was based on support- the same support she gave everyone else.

It took him almost a week to realize he didn't like the fact that she treated him the same as she did everyone else, even strangers on the road. He had been everything to her for years, and he had treated her the same way a cow treats a fly buzzing around its head. He couldn't justify the disappointment he felt when thinking that her devotion was no longer available to him. When she surprised him with her appearance in that clearing a few weeks ago, he must have subconsciously decided that it was his last chance to selfishly regain that connection to her- to be the only one she was devoted to once more.

As they traveled together (which was decidedly less annoying than he thought it would be), he found that he actually respected the person she had become in his absence. She kept her cool in stressful situations. Her medical jutsu was impressive. She could make anyone smile, young or old. She could hold her liquor far better than Naruto. She could actually hold an intelligent (albeit usually one-sided) conversation. She didn't complain about hard travel conditions. She didn't pry, even when he could tell she was dying to know what he was thinking (that little vein on her forehead always popped out, but he'd never tell her that). Hell, she was the only one who's presence he could tolerate for more than a few hours at a time.

She also wasn't all that bad to look at, if he was really being honest with himself. She wasn't stereotypically pretty- in fact he probably would have looked right past her if she had been- but her body was strong and lithe and her features had evened out as she aged. Her hair was unusual, but not distractingly outrageous. It was her face that got under his skin the most- her small soft lips, her even skin, and her bottomless green eyes. Those eyes had his thoughts going to dangerous places.

 

She was invoking feelings in him that were completely foreign. What made it worse was that there was a large part of him that might actually enjoy them, if it weren't for the overly practical and stubbornly stuck-in-his-ways half of his brain screaming at him.

 

That morning began like all the other mornings over the past few weeks. He awoke first, washed up nearby and put water boiling for morning tea. It was a habit he remembered his father having. Sakura would stir just as he brought the first still-too-hot sip to his lips, stretching and rubbing her eyes with that childlike sleepy smile.

“Ohayo,” she would mumble before shuffling to the basin to brush her teeth. She would return 10 minutes later, pack away her bedroll, and join Sasuke by the last smoking embers of the campfire from the night before. He would wordlessly pass her a cup. She would take four... five... six sips. Then she could finally speak.

 

They would plan for the day. He would discuss where they were headed and what would need to be done there. She would smile and decide how she could assist. They would wordlessly rinse their camp cups, hang them from the pack that Sasuke would sling onto his shoulder, and head out.

 

It was comfortable. It was routine. Just like she was.

 

But the dreams were getting to him.

 

He used to have trouble sleeping due to the recurring nightmares. Time and his own accomplishments had reduced their frequency to a bearable point. His dreams then became blissfully empty, unremarkable and unimportant.

 

Until a few days ago.

 

Until his brain saw fit to conjure the sweet image of her bare body against his. Her wet reddened lips on his neck... his chest... his stomach... his...

 

It was agony. Fiery, mind-numbing, toe-curling agony.

 

He would lay awake at night as her quiet snores filled the otherwise empty silence. He would tell himself that it was only his brain trying to make sense of her proximity. He was used to traveling alone. _Being_ alone. That he was clearly in such control of his body and hormones, his brain felt the subconscious need for the release that all other healthy men craved and acted upon. It would pass.

 

Of course it didn't, and Sasuke inwardly thought that maybe the universe felt his search for atonement had been going too easily. It was time for him to suffer a little.

 

Or a lot.

 

As they nights went on, he would notice small details. A ring on his finger. A small fan tattooed above her heaving breast. How she whispered “Danna” sweetly into his ear as he thrust into her. How, in that dream, he actually felt _happy_.

 

The frustration he felt as he crawled awkwardly from his bedroll each morning began to build. In the past few days it would take him twice as long to extinguish the fire pooled in his stomach. He found himself distracted during the day; unable to keep his eyes from lingering just a second too long on her silken hair, her emerald eyes, her parted lips.

 

Maybe his brain's curiosity needed to be satisfied- just a little- so that he could get some relief.

 

At least, that was how he would later attempt to justify his actions.

 

 

 

 

 

Earlier that afternoon, she had asked to spar. The request took him by surprise at first, but he could understand her need to stay physically sharp. Hell, he respected it. After agreeing to use taijutsu only, they found a clearing at least a mile away from any other sign of humanity. His speed and her power made for an interesting match. Her strength proved to be formidable, but he was able to pin her securely between his legs after about an hour.

 

If only she had stopped squirming.

 

The vision of her lying beneath him, chest heaving and parted lips grunting as her hips ground erratically against his, awoke a beast he had never known was hiding within him.

 

Before he could think about the warmth rushing to his head, he had leaned over, pinning her arms securely above her head with his large hand. An unfamiliar sense of urgency overwhelmed him, and suddenly his lips crashed onto hers.

 

She tasted like salt and earth. A tiny spring in his toned stomach snapped. Electricity spread to his hands and feet and back again.

 

And then he realized what the fuck he was doing.

 

His Uchiha pride dictated that he play this off as no big deal- as if he meant for it to happen, because obviously he must always be in control of his thoughts and actions. Because such base human instincts were beneath him.

 

He stood deliberately and turned his back, walking from the clearing without a word. He hid the look of shock in his eyes and withheld the groan in his chest until he was out of sight.

 

Sakura remained motionless in the grass, her bruised lips slowly becoming numb. The taste of his tongue rolled to the back of her throat, then disappeared. Slowly she stood, gathered her thigh pouch from the base of a large maple tree, and walked back to camp in a daze.

 

 

 

 

 

Sitting on her bedroll in the cabin, she absentmindedly ran her fingers through still-damp locks. The long swim in the lake had done little to cool her body and quiet her mind. She watched his lips purse as he remained deep in thought, staring silently at the flames between them.

She quickly averted her gaze as he looked back at her.

_Quit staring, idiot._

She could feel the hairs standing up at the nape of her neck, a strange warmth spreading from her chest into her cheeks. Sakura forced herself to take a silent, shaky breath and calm herself down.

 

She would give anything to know what the hell he was thinking.

 

_It was just a freak response._ She tried to convince herself bitterly. _Emotions run high after battle._

 

_**Yeah, he would totally kiss Naruto like that after sparring. All the time.** _

 

Sakura cursed her snarky inner, resigning herself to the obvious fact that he wouldn't bring it up. It meant nothing to him. He had no idea the amount of inner turmoil he had mucked up within her, and she should probably keep it that way. She would have to forget it even happened.

 

_Shit._

 

How to go about doing that was an entirely different can of worms. As she wracked her brain to find some intelligent way to handle all this, he stood from his seat opposite her.

 

Her mind went blank.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“We should discuss what happened this afternoon.”

He never thought he would be the one to say those words. Judging by the stupefied look on Sakura's face, she must have felt the same way.

“I-its okay, Sasuke-kun. I get that it was just a one-time thing. You don't have to worry about me getting all clingy and weird...”

_Unless you want me to..._ She tried to ignore how badly she wanted him. Allowing these feelings to run rampant would only result in her heart breaking again. Seeing the changes in him- the calmness, the almost friendly interactions, the rare cracked joke- had ignited a spark of hope within her, but she dared not acknowledge it. She was so lost in her own concerned feelings that she missed his mouth twist in frustration.

“What kind of man do you take me for?” He spat impulsively, regretting the words the instant they left his mouth.

_She thinks I'm the asshole who never cared about her. A few weeks of treating her like a human being isn't going to erase the years of treating her like shit. Why would she ever think I could be sincere?_

Sakura's temper flared, more out of an attempt to get a grasp on her steadily unraveling resolve than due to any real offense.

“Do you really want the answer to that question, _Uchiha_?” She growled quietly. Had Sasuke been an average man, he would had walked away from the inevitable verbal beat-down that was about to ensue. But he was an Uchiha, and no one- man or infuriatingly beautiful-when-angry woman- would make him cower. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. His old ways of approaching emotional issues clearly hadn't worked out so well. Logic dictated that a new approach was needed.

_Ichi... ni... san... shi... go... roku..._

“Sakura, just sit down and hear me out, damn it.” He inwardly cringed at the hint of insecurity floating beneath his statement, but exhaled gently with relief as she plopped unceremoniously back onto her bedroll. She managed a haughty glare as she crossed her arms, awaiting his next move. The intensity in his dark eyes softened in the firelight.

_Shichi... hachi...kyuu..._

Slowly, with all the certainly he could muster, he lowered himself to sit beside her. The soft skin of her arm brushed his, and he could feel a strange calm wash over him.

_Juu._

“Sakura, I'm not trying to play a game with you,” he began, watching the tension in her shoulders slacken almost imperceptibly. “I would think you'd know that I'm pretty incapable of doing so.”

Sakura managed a half-smile. Sasuke was intelligent, perceptive, and direct to a fault. Emotional games were never in his wheelhouse, especially considering how others' manipulative actions had ruined so much of his life.

“So what the hell was that?” She sassed, trying to ignore the warmth that was spreading in her stomach at the memory of his warm lips on hers.

Before he could stop it, a nervous chuckle escaped his chest. He couldn't tell who was more surprised by the sound- Sakura or him. The absurdity of this situation hit him like a splash of cool water.

He was trying to explain his feelings.

To Sakura.

The fact that he would even admit to having a romantic inkling would have been impossible only a few weeks ago.

Somehow, before he could deflect it, she had caught him in her net. He had never expected to actually like the feeling.

_Kami, I need a drink._

Even her bad habits were rubbing off on him. He took a long, deep breath.

“You're comfortable,” he breathed honestly, trying to ignore the sweet smile gracing her lips. “You're someone I can rely on.”

Sakura hesitated to breathe. She didn't want anything to interrupt this moment in fear that he would never open up again. She bit back the many sarcastic retorts that she would have used, had the man before her been anyone else in the world.

“I've completed all my goals,” he said bitterly, “and have alienated everyone, as was my intent...Except you.”

He finally looked up from his flexed hand to catch her gaze, her eyes sparkling with viridity in the flickering light. Her emotions played like a stormy sea behind half-closed lids.

“For some damned reason, I can't shake you,” he admitted, looking away from her tempting eyes before he lost his nerve. He stared at the ashes gathered in the cracks of his roughened palm, trying not to dwell on the realization that the woman beside him was completely quiet. He silently willed her to say something, anything. At least then he could react to something, instead of continuously sorting through the myriad of ideas in his head in an attempt to make his point. Disappointingly, she remained silent.

 

Sakura couldn't help but stare at the curve of his jaw as she attempted to process his words. She was afraid to speak, fearful of ruining this impossible moment- of waking up from this dream. It was as if she was finally getting an explanation of his cryptic “thank you”, and it was more than she ever expected to hear from him.

Until now, she had been careful to keep her distance. She decided it wouldn't help her in any way to dwell on how handsome he still was (damn him), or the small tendrils of warmth that leaked through his cold, efficient exterior. She counted herself lucky that he had even agreed to allow her to tag along. She had expected that he'd grow sick of her in a day or two, and she would return home again. She would busy herself at the hospital and slowly return all her hopes for the last Uchiha to the locked chest in the back of her mind.

But days had turned to weeks, and he never asked her to leave. She closed her eyes each night with the prayer that she might have one more day with him- because the minute he asked her to leave, she would. And she secretly feared that she might never see him again. The sound of his low voice brought her back from her musings.

 

“I've come to realize that maybe I don't want to leave you behind,” he spoke carefully, “that I could actually enjoy having you by my side.”

 

Pride dictated that she should walk out on him in that moment. He had done nothing to earn her devotion. He was only accepting her support- her _love_ \- when it suited him. When he was ready. Any smart woman (and Sakura was one of the most intelligent people he knew) should take this opportunity to tell him to fuck off. He had been offered his chance- many more times than he deserved.

He waited for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, his heart (for it did still exist, despite how black and deteriorated it might have become in the past decade) sank in his chest as the kunoichi rose to her feet.

She had finally come to her senses. He wasn't worth the effort.

He suppressed the overwhelming urge to grab her hand. To kiss her one more time. To stop her from doing what he deserved. What _she_ deserved.

Instead he continued to stare at his hand, fearful of his face betraying him this time.

 

_**Close your eyes  
Let me touch you now** _

 

Sakura gently clasped her hands over his, suppressing a giggle at the sudden look of shock flashing in his eyes. It was the first time she had seen such honest emotion since their genin days. Pushing his arm aside, she made room to climb lithely into his lap, mustering the courage to hold his gaze as she settled into him. She expected him to stop her, to tell her she was reading into his admission too much. But she breathed a quiet sigh of relief as he remained still. She placed his hand by her side, allowing her fingers to slowly trace a path from his pounding heart to the pulse point beneath his ear, brushing the pads of her thumbs lightly across his clamped jaw. Emboldened by the honest surprise in his steel gaze, her eyes drifted lower to his lips. They parted temptingly as she felt him exhale slowly.

She deserved this, didn't she?

 

_**Let me give you something that is real** _

 

Slowly, deliberately, she allowed her lips to meet his.

 

 

For the first time in years (or perhaps, just hours), Sasuke Uchiha couldn't process what the hell just happened.

 

All thoughts of brooding and self-pity immediately flew from his mind as her lips crashed to his. He clung to the tiny thread of self-control wound around his core as she pulled gently on his lower jaw, her tongue slipping stealthily into his hungry mouth. This wasn't the reaction, good or bad, that he had expected.

 

This was so much better.

 

He suppressed a groan as she gently bit down on his bottom lip, his hand taking on a life of its own as it ran up the rough material covering her strong thigh and settled on her hip. He felt his fingertips dig into the soft flesh there, automatically pulling her closer to his broad chest. A small mewl rolled from her parted lips, and Sasuke wondered unabashedly if he could elicit any more delicious sounds from the woman in his lap.

 

His woman? What was happening exactly?

 

Everything below his neck insisted that he just stop thinking for now. This could all be another of those frustratingly wonderful dreams- in which case he should enjoy this as long as it lasts, because waking up was a bitch.

 

At the rate the prickly heat was spreading through his core, he wondered how long he would last.

 

_As long as I need to, damn it._

 

There was no way he would forfeit a minute of this delightful entanglement. He would allow himself this- he could deal with the guilt of experiencing happiness tomorrow.

_**Close the door  
Leave your fears behind** _

 

Sakura couldn't help but smirk at his wandering touches. She reveled in the smell of smoke in his hair and clothes from the waning campfire and the prickly feel of the stubble that had gathered on his chin since yesterday morning. She leaned forward, pressing her bound chest into him as her deft fingers gathered in the inky hair behind his ears. She found herself sucking on his lower lip as she fought the urge to remove all barriers between them. His skin was hot beneath her, and she realized that, while she should be grateful for this moment that she had dreamed of since she was a little girl, she wanted so much more.

 

Sasuke finally reigned himself in enough to focus on the soft skin beneath his fingertips as his hand slid up her dress. She shivered as he traced gentle circles across the small of her back, and he smirked wickedly as he pulled away from her delicious lips to trace a line of feather-light kisses down her jaw. She gasped in spite of herself, arching her back and pushing herself into him. He was gentler than she had imagined. He felt a coiled spring begin to wind in his stomach as tendrils of fire rolled through his veins. He needed to be closer to her.

 

She beat him to the punch, her fingernails scratching down his back until they reached the hem of his shirt, jerking the offending fabric over his head and discarding it across the room somewhere. She found she didn't need to use any chakra to push him down to the thin mat, leaning forward to press a kiss to the thin scar across his collarbone.

 

Sasuke closed his eyes for a moment, focusing on the feel of her lips across his chest and the scent of her body surrounding him. Her loose hair tickled his neck and he wound his fingers through it, pulling the silken pink strands back to watch her as she pressed her lips to his overheating body. Her eyes roamed hungrily over the tight muscles, tracing lines of ice and fire between each hardened cord. He didn't feel self-conscious until her gaze paused at the void where his left arm should be. He recoiled only slightly, until she smiled sadly and looped her strong, thin arm under his shoulder, pressing her taught stomach to his as her lips captured his once more. He felt the light mist of tears flutter across his cheek. His hand wove itself into her silken hair before he could stop himself.

 

“Don't.”

 

She paused as she took in the word harshly whispered into her mouth. She pulled away gently to look him in the eye.

 

“Don't you dare feel sorry for me.”

 

His husky baritone sent shivers up her spine. Relieved that he wasn't asking her to stop, she took in a small, shaky breath. He'd never wanted her pity or concern, but she had spent half of her existence dwelling on his unfortunate lot in life. Now, as she felt his thumb press against the hollow of her throat, she felt herself gathering the scattered remnants of the mental glass jars containing her feelings for him- love, frustration, pity, sadness, regret, anger, attraction, betrayal, redemption, happiness- and locking them away. She certainly didn't have the emotional clarity to handle their enormity right now. Especially when she felt his hardened need press tentatively against her thigh and his hot breath on her neck as he sat up. His hand ran tantalizingly up the slight curve of her hip as he reached for the clasp on her dress. She decided to live in this moment. They could sort out the repercussions later.

 

His eye had turned to gray coal as he paused to look at her with an expression she had never seen before.

 

Was he asking permission?

 

No. An Uchiha would never ask permission.

 

Unless he actually respected her- and that was more than she thought her fragile brain could handle right now.

 

She reached down to grab the opposite side of her dress, helping him pull it firmly over her head. She blushed furiously as his critical eye took in every hardened curve of her stomach, rising slowly to the small mounds hidden beneath careful wrappings. She gasped as his lips lowered to the tender skin above the linen wrap. His hand fell to the small of her back as she bent backward to grant him access to her heaving chest. Her hips ground into him as she leaned and she gasped at the electric shock that shot upward from the delicious friction between her legs.

Sasuke felt the air rush from his lungs as the heat between her legs spread to oversensitive area between his, a rush of blood hardening him more than he thought his pants could contain for much longer. He needed her- all of her- and there were too many damn barriers between them.

 

_**Let me give you what you're giving me** _

 

With a smooth motion he pulled her lips back to his, crushing her to him and panting into the ache of their bruising lips. They were shinobi- if it didn't hurt, it usually wasn't worth doing. He found himself slightly embarrassed by the concentration needed to undo the clasp holding her bindings together, but quickly squelched the feeling as he watched the long piece of linen unwind painfully slowly and fall to her small waist. She gasped as the last piece of rough cloth brushed her tender nipples as it fell, freeing her small, pert breasts to the rush of cold air surrounding them. In one fluid movement, one far too gentle than she thought the young Uchiha was capable of, he laid her down at the foot of the bedroll. A throaty baritone growl slipped from his throat as the heat of her body retreated to the cold floor, and he moved with catlike grace to kneel above her. He couldn't let her lose that warmth, not when he needed it so badly. He bent with moistened lips to the valley between her breasts, relishing in the salt of her sweat on his tongue. She was delicious. He felt a wicked smile creep to his lips as his mouth closed over the sensitive flesh under the hardened pink nub. He felt the sensation of warm water flow down his thighs as she gasped and moaned under his wandering lips.

 

“S-sasuke-kun...”

 

Mmm. There it was- that silken voice that haunted his dreams the past few nights. He continued to suckle and nip until his hot mouth hovered over her darkening nipple. She arched instinctively into him, pushing the pert nub onto his awaiting tongue. He teased her wickedly, flicking his hot tongue over the sweet and bitter flesh before sucking as much of her breast into his mouth as he thought he could get away with.

Sakura felt any inkling of modesty disappear as she closed her eyes and focused on the feeling of his mouth on her sensitive breasts. A sweet liquid had begun to pool between the hidden folds of her sex, and she was suddenly aware of the need to be free of whatever garments were blocking her body from his hot mouth. She had given in. She would do whatever he wanted. She gasped in disappointment as his lips popped off her sweet breast and traced fiery kisses back up to her panting mouth. Her hands untangled from the blanket beneath her to find their way into his hair.

“Sakura,” he whispered in a low growl. He waited for her half-lidded eyes to meet his. She shuddered as his rough fingers wrapped around the back of her neck.

 

“Stay.”

 

_**You are the only thing  
That makes me want to live at all** _

 

It was as much a command as a request. Sakura couldn't hide the look of shock that marred her features. She had spent her entire kunoichi career asking him to stay. She never could have imagined that he would ask the same of her.

 

Of course, she never doubted the answer that flew from her lips. His hands were in her hair, but her heart was in his teeth.

 

“Aa. I'll stay,” she whispered, shocked at the ghost of a smile that graced his swollen lips. She would have promised him anything.

 

He stood slowly, deliberately, offering the woman before him a hand. She slowly stood, unable to hide her blush as she noticed the very visible tent in his trousers. Her eyes drifted over every inch of his body as she stood. She would have done anything to see this as a young, lovestruck teenager. She'd be damned if she missed any chance she had to make him want more of her.

 

Sasuke needed to slow this down. The past week's dreams had already strained his resolve to the breaking point, and he needed to reign in his control before he completely lost it. He brought his lips to hers slowly, weaving his fingers through her wild hair and tasting every inch of her mouth.

 

Sakura, on the other hand, seemed to have other plans. She allowed one arm to snake its way around his waist, and the other to fall to front of his groin. She shamelessly smiled with satisfaction as she heard his surprised gasp. He growled into her mouth as she ran her small hand over the cloth shielding his hardened member. The friction had him seeing stars.

 

“Sakura, stop...” he whispered, unable to hide his labored panting. He sucked air past his teeth as he felt her hand tighten around the overly-sensitive head through his pants. She stopped, looking up into his cloudy eyes.

 

“Do you really want me to?” She asked, unable to hide the disappointment in her voice. Her green eyes pleaded with him as her flushed lips turned into a pout. The same lips that had tortured his thoughts for days.

 

He couldn't find his voice suddenly. Her hand was so warm and her breath was on his lips... The smell of her filled him. He had nothing left to say. Losing the tiny thread of composure he had left, he thrust his hips back into her hand. She smiled as he bit her lower lip, his hand falling once again to her neglected breast.

 

She allowed the heat of his touch to spur her on, unwilling to allow him time to regret what they were doing. Her hands moved to the hook of his pants, releasing it with a loud click. She threaded each hand onto the waistband and pulled downward, allowing the offending fabric to pool on the floor at his feet and his engorgement to spring free. Her sweet mouth left his, moving downward to his chin, his neck. A hiss escaped his teeth as she licked a trail of ice down his midline, biting the hardened muscle underneath. Her tongue continued it's journey as her hands pushed his hips backward towards the chair in the corner of the room.

 

_**When I am with you  
There's no reason to pretend** _

 

Sasuke found himself unable to do anything to stop her. The cold of the seat did little to snap him out of the fever writhing within him. His heart stopped as she bent lower, stopping her mouth just below his navel. Her knees sank towards the floor in what seemed like slow motion, her hand sending shivers up his spine as she ran it along his hardened length, squeezing the base hard enough to make him gasp in spite of himself. A clear droplet oozed from the reddened slit held her small hands, and she felt herself unable to control the temptation to taste him.

 

Sasuke tore his hand away from her hair, unable to trust himself not to yank it under her ministrations. He gripped the arm of the wooden chair with white knuckles as she ran her tongue from his hilt down the throbbing vein with slow, agonizing care. She was going to kill him. He was sure of it.

 

Sakura hid her surprise at his reactions, trying to summon all the confidence she could as she took him into her mouth. She could feel the pulse of his heartbeat hammering against her tongue as she held him gently, allowing her warmth to slowly sink into his hardened length. She felt his eyes on her, making goosebumps erupt across the nape of her neck. He never made a move to stop her, though, so she supposed she was doing well enough. She made a quick mental note to thank Ino for all the tips offered over many bottles of wine.

 

His eyes glazed over as she slowly began sliding her mouth up and down, her tongue pressing gently along the length to swirl around the tender bundle of nerves below the head. Her short fingernails dug into the sensitive flesh of his inner thighs as she applied a bit more pressure with her lips, eliciting a harsh moan from the former avenger's throat.

 

Sasuke managed to gather his wits enough to open his eyes. Moonlight shone through the small window next to him, catching in her hair and turning pink to silver. Another swirl of her tongue brought him closer to the precarious ledge, the rope of fire in his stomach pulled taught enough to snap. As close as he felt to death, he had never been more alive. Had he known he could feel like this, he would have given into his baser instincts more often. Even when he had, it had never affected him like this. He had a feeling no one would ever be able to affect him like Sakura could.

 

He was open in that moment. Exposed. Fragile. Weak.

 

And for the first time in his life, he didn't care. Because the woman who held him so skillfully in her hands and in her mouth would never hurt him.

 

As he felt his last bit of coherence swirl into the whirlpool between his legs, he realized she was always the only choice. His path forward began with her.

 

_**That when I am with you  
I feel flames again** _

 

Sakura felt his legs begin to tremble beneath her hands as she sucked hungrily. She felt her own liquid pool in her panties as his cock began to twitch against her tongue. A muffled cry erupted above her as his hot seed spurted into her throat. She held him gently in her mouth as the waves of his release continued, never once wanting to spit him out.

He was hers now.

 

Sasuke gasped as he pulled her away, lifting her into his lap as his smoky gaze met dancing green irises. A small drop of moisture glistened at the corner of her swollen lips, and without thinking he leaned in to lick it away before devouring her mouth. The bitter, earthy taste of his seed on her lips was more than his brain could process. Instincts took over, the need to claim her irrepressible. He needed to see her, to taste her. He lifted her in his strong arm, carrying her effortlessly to the mat by the dying fire. His lips once again covered her face and torso, curling upward at the sound of her gasping moans. His deft fingers found purchase on the back of her shorts, pulling them from her in one swift motion. He paused to take her image in, firelight dancing off the thin sheen of sweat glistening on her smooth skin. He could see the darkened material covering her, wet with her own need. Another quick pull and that, too, disappeared into an unknown corner of the shack, revealing every inch of her to his mismatched eyes.

 

A moment of nervousness flashed within her as his eyes lingered on the pink curls between her legs, but she was too far gone to care. She sighed with relief as he leaned forward once more, pressing his lips in a downward spiral . He inhaled slowly, memorizing her scent, fingers moving to cup her ass and lift her sex to his hungry lips.

 

He didn't ask permission this time. Her moaning pleas were all he needed to hear.

 

_**Just put me inside you  
I would never ever leave** _

 

Sakura yelped as Sasuke pressed his thick tongue between her soaked folds. Lightning leapt to every nerve ending as his lips closed over the small awaiting bundle, sucking gently and flicking his tongue across it as her taste flooded his mouth. He could vaguely hear her calling his name, but he was too far gone, engrossed in her most intimate parts. Her hips jerked as he brushed the hardened nub, desperately needing the pressure to continue building within her. He steadied his rhythm, watching with great satisfaction as her hips bucked erratically.

 

“Please... Sasuke-kun... Inside me...”

 

So eager. Sasuke smiled wickedly into her folds. His pride dictated that she get her turn at release first. He was rather enjoying her flushed cheeks and heaving breasts.

He instead moved his hand forward, rubbing his thumb in a circle around her entrance as his tongue continued the steady beat against her clit. Slowly he pressed his coated digit into her, hissing at the sensation of her tight walls around him. He felt himself harden again as she ground her hips against his lips. As much as he enjoyed the taste of her, he was suddenly overcome with the urge to watch her.

His eyes drank in every detail as he pumped his fingers rhythmically. The way the scar on her stomach would twitch as her muscles convulsed, her flushed cheeks and chest, the way her rose hair would fan around her head- it made his heart pound. She was damn near screaming now, her nails leaving jagged scratches down his arm as she grasped his hand. She was feral, her head tilted harshly backward as her eyes slammed shut.

 

He was pretty sure no one would ever be able to pull off “unladylike” quite like the woman before him. He was definitely sure that he loved it.

 

Dainty and prudish would never mix with his personality. He needed fiery, reckless abandon, “what-the-fuck-was-I-thinking” kind of love.

The life of a shinobi was too short for anything else.

His breath hitched as he felt her liquid break over his hand in a rush, dripping onto the bedroll below. The seconds ticked by as if they were minutes, and he watched with smug self-satisfaction as she melted into the thin mat below her. The smell of her sex surrounded him, filling the cabin.

He snaked his body along hers, burying his hand in her hair and his head in her neck. Her fingertips dragged along his spine to knead the tense muscles along his shoulderblades.

 

“Take me,” she whispered, wrapping her strong thighs around his waist. Sasuke bit her shoulder as he felt her cum coat his groin and slicken his awaiting length. In one thrust, he was buried within her. She groaned as he filled her, the feel of his hardened body sliding across her slick stomach driving any remaining inhibition away. She arched her hips forward, allowing him to hit that sweet target in her depths.

 

Sasuke felt like he was tied to a burning post. Her wet, hot walls were wrapped around him so tightly he struggled to breathe, much less move. Before he could form another thought, he felt her hand drift from his shoulder down his burning back until short nails dug into his backside.

 

This woman apparently knew what she wanted.

 

He just didn't expect to enjoy it so damn much.

 

He pulled back and slammed into her depths, ignoring the bright lights igniting in his peripheral vision. Sakura threw her head back, allowing him to take advantage of the creamy, exposed flesh of her neck. His name flew from her lips in an escalating mantra as he pushed himself into her sweet folds. Again. And again. And again. The thin thread of pleasure wound around his spine slowly, sending waves of warmth to his toes as ice flew to his fingertips entangled in her damp hair.

 

Sakura crested the mountain as his friction built slowly within her, the sensation entirely different than her past release. This time the heat flowed slowly from her center outward, gentle and languid like the waves of the ocean.

 

Sasuke watched as her lips curled in a sweet smile, and he activated his Sharingan to burn the image into his memory. The vice of her orgasm brought him back to the edge of his own cliff.

 

He slowed, wrestling with the paradox of needing release but never wanting this to end. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt this way.

 

Safe.

Satisfied.

Spent.

Happy.

 

He needed this to last.

He needed her to stay.

He needed her to be his.

 

Kami knows, he was already hers.

 

Sakura seemed to pick up on his slightly melancholy thoughts. She rolled her hips against his, weaving her hands into his mussed hair and bringing her lips to his.

 

“Let it go,” she whispered into his teeth.

 

Any other time, he would have balked at a woman, or anyone for that matter, telling him what to do.

 

_But Sakura has always known what was better for me_ , he thought with a smile.

 

_**Just put me inside you  
I would never ever leave you** _

 

With a final roll of her slim hips, the cable burst within him. A long groan rolled from his chest as Sakura felt his warm seed fill her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They remained woven together as the embers in the pit gave their last light, his fingers tangled gently in her hair, her leg draped over his hip. She buried herself in his broad chest, unable to hide her slight shiver. Sasuke pulled back only enough to be able to see her face.

 

“Cold?”

 

She nodded sleepily, but only entangled herself into his body further. He smiled at her reluctance to move from the nest they had created. Spotting his discarded shirt behind her back, he reached for it. Sakura sat up only long enough to pull the worn fabric over her head before settling back into him, a contented smile playing at the corner of her peach lips.

 

Sasuke's eyes finally drifted closed, the image of his Uchiha crest centered on her small back playing sweetly behind his eyelids.

 

“Better?” He mumbled, feeling sleep tugging at his temples.

 

“Yes,” she whispered, looping a lazy arm around his neck. “So comfortable.”

 

For the first time in over 13 years, he allowed himself a beaming smile, slightly grateful that her closed eyes missed it. No need to make a fuss.

 

“Good,” he breathed. “You should probably get used to it.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Whew! It is a joy to finally be posting here at AO3.  
> “Flames” is a beautiful song by VAST  
> “My hands are in your hair, but my heart is in your teeth” are lyrics by Jewel in her song “Near You Always”. They just work so perfectly.
> 
> Thank you for your kudos, reviews, and time spent reading. 
> 
> Be kind. Kick ass. Repeat  
> -Mistress
> 
> P.S. I am considering using this one-shot as inspiration for a full multi-chapter fic about Sakura and Sasuke's year traveling. Feel free to send me your thoughts and ideas, if you are so inclined. Thanks for taking the time to do so.


End file.
